What are the characteristics of Qingming?
In Tomb-Sweeping Day, everything grows, clean and clear. The average temperature in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and South China is above 10℃. The warm climate and lush vegetation in most parts of China have changed the cold and yellow scene in winter.
Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the 24 solar terms, which was first recorded in Zheng Wentian's word Huainan. According to Mandarin, "Four Seasons and Eight Seasons" always includes "Tomb-Sweeping Day is the March Festival. This wind belongs to crying, so it is also. Everything is in harmony with trade, clean and tidy when it is bought, and clean and clean when it is clear. " It can be seen from the naming of the twenty-four solar terms that the division of solar terms fully considers the changes of natural phenomena such as seasons, climate and phenology. Liu An's Huai Nan Zi in Han Dynasty said that "it will be sunny on the 15th day after the vernal equinox", which was mainly explained from meteorological aspects, so Tomb-Sweeping Day was later called "March Festival". However, at the age of 100, Baiwen was called Qingming because everything was clean and bright at this time, and Xiao Jingwei recorded that "the second is Qingming, and everything is clean and tidy at this point", which is different, mainly from the perspective of things.
Obviously, when Qingming comes, it is spring in March. Tomb-Sweeping Day is named for its unique season and excellent illumination, temperature and rainfall. In this climate, these images are easily reminiscent of "Qingming" scenes. As Song Zhenyuan said in Guang Ji, the age is quoted from San Tongli. "The Qingming people are pure and bright", so in the Qingming season, the spring is bright, everything is revived, and the earth is full of vitality.
Tomb-Sweeping Day is also called "Cold Food Festival".
Twenty-four solar terms have evolved into modern times, among which "Qingming" and "Winter Solstice" have become the remaining festivals; However, the connection between winter solstice and farming gradually weakened, while the connotation and extension of Tomb-Sweeping Day continued to expand, eventually becoming a major festival to commemorate ancestors. Different from other traditional festivals, Qingming is both a solar term and a festival. Although the winter solstice solar term was once both a festival and a solar term, its influence is far less than Qingming. From the perspective of origin and formation, Tomb-Sweeping Day is a festival that combines Tomb-Sweeping Day Qi, Cold Food Festival and Shangsi Festival.
As a festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day follows the Cold Food Festival. The ancients often extended the activities of the Cold Food Festival to Qingming, so there was no strict boundary between the Cold Food Festival and Qingming. Tomb-Sweeping Day is not only a festival to pay homage to the grave and remember the deceased relatives, but also a festival to go for a walk and get close to nature. The folk activities around the theme of sweeping graves are rich and colorful, many of which are left over from the Cold Food Festival. With the passage of history. Now most of these activities have declined. Tomb-Sweeping Day's ancestor worship activities are still enduring, thus becoming one of the most dynamic folk customs.
Traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day originated in the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. It is said that it began with the "tomb sacrifice" ceremony of ancient emperors and generals, and later the people followed suit. Tomb-Sweeping Day is first of all a very important solar term. Originally, the Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day were two different festivals. Because it is very close to the Cold Food Festival (the Cold Food Festival is the day when people ban fire to sweep graves), in the Tang Dynasty, the Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day became one, and the day of sweeping graves was designated as the Cold Food Festival. Cold food has become another name of Tomb-Sweeping Day and a custom of Tomb-Sweeping Day.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, one of the five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period was Jin Wengong, also known as Zhong Er. At the age of 4 1, he was forced to flee because of the battle for the throne. Among the entourage, there was a courtier named Jiezitui. When he saw that Zhong Er was tired, he secretly cut a piece of meat from his thigh and made a bowl of broth for Zhong Er to drink, which made Zhong Er very moved. Later, Zhong Er ascended the throne. In order to find meson push, he did a stupid thing-let Yamakaji go, but accidentally burned meson push and his mother. Since then, in order to commemorate meson tui, Jin Wengong has designated this day as "Cold Food Festival", which is now Tomb-Sweeping Day.
The custom of inserting willows in Tomb-Sweeping Day
In Tomb-Sweeping Day, everyone wears willows, and willows are inserted at the door of every household. This custom can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. Willow has a strong vitality, as the saying goes: "intentional planting of flowers, unintentional planting of willows." Wicker lives when it is inserted in the soil, and lives where it is inserted. People in the Tang Dynasty believed that wearing willow branches when offering sacrifices by the river on March 3 could get rid of the harm of poisonous insects. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the custom of inserting willows in Tomb-Sweeping Day was very popular. When people come back from an outing, they stay at home to avoid insects. The climate gets warmer in spring, and all kinds of germs begin to multiply. The ancients could only hope on willow branches in the case of poor medical conditions. There are many explanations for willow insertion among the people. For example, in Xifeng, Haicheng and other places in Liaoning, people think that it is a kind of evocation for women and children to take willow branches and insert them in the head wing or the lining of the house. In Wu Yang, Henan Province, it is said that it promotes the soul for mesons. In Zhangbei, Hebei. Each family folded the wicker and hung it in front of the door, thinking that it could drive away the ominous; Guangping inserted willow branches in order to comply with the solar terms; In Nangong, willows are inserted on the door or worn on the head to make the eyes clear and not blind. In Shanghai, the leftover steamed cakes from Tomb-Sweeping Day were put on wicker, stored in long summer and fried for children. It is said that summer is not needed (Chinese medicine refers to long-term fever in summer, which is often caused by sweat dysfunction. The main symptom is persistent fever. Loss of appetite. Emaciation, thirst and polyuria. The skin is dry and hot, the hotter the weather, the higher the body temperature, etc.